A Servant of Two Masters
by Merlinfan26
Summary: Arthur and Gwaine find Merlin in the woods, but Merlin had been beaten and raped. He is terrified at anyone touching him, except for Arthur. Arthur is determined to find out who did this while his Uncle does everything to hide the truth from his nephew. How will Arthur react when he learns his Uncle was the one who planned the whole attack? Merlin Whump, Merthur friendship
1. Chapter 1

**This is a lot darker than my other stories. Kind of nervous about it, but I couldn't stop thinking about it! This is set during A Servant of Two Masters  
**

**Prologue**

Merlin's breathing quickened when the cave in happened and the men surrounded him.

"What should we do with him?" Arthur's Uncle asked as he pointed his sword at Merlin.

Merlin struggled to breathe.

"Traitor," he managed to hiss. Arthur's Uncle just smiled at him, a smug and cocky smile that Merlin hated.

Morgana's eyes gleamed as she thought of the revenge she finally had for Merlin poisoning her so many years ago.

Morgana's lips curled into a smile.

"Tell your men they can do whatever they want to him, I don't care. I just want him left alive. So we Arthur can find him broken."

Arthur's Uncle smiled and Merlin sank into the ground in fear.

Morgana left and continued to smile when she heard Merlin shouting in fear.

The men crowded around Merlin, and started to strip him.

Too weak from his wound Merlin was unable to use magic to defend himself from the rape that was coming.

Instead he tried to fight, but it was futile.

He finally accepted his fate, closed his eyes, and prayed for someone to find him, before it was too late.

* * *

Gwaine was in the middle of talking while he and Arthur were out searching for Merlin when Arthur heard a noise.

He held his hand up for silence. He headed to the bushes. Gwaine readied his sword, and Arthur did the same.

"Who's there?" He demanded.

He heard a soft moan from behind a tree.

He slowly, and tentatively,went to where the noise was.

His eyes widened in horror.

"_Merlin_?!"

Gwaine inhaled sharply at the site he and Arthur saw.

Merlin was stripped naked. His bleeding wound visible for the world to see.

Merlin was also curled into a fetal position.

Arthur felt sick, but he also felt something else.

Intense anger. When he looked at Gwaine, he could tell Gwaine felt the same.

"Merlin?" Arthur swallowed.

What the hell happened to his servant?

Immense guilt filled his body when Merlin yelped at his touch.

"_Shit_," cursed Gwaine.

Tears appeared in Arthur's eyes and he quickly blinked them away.

It was up to him to be strong.

He grimaced when he picked up Merlin and Merlin whimpered and thrashed at the touch.

"Easy there, mate," he said in a soothing voice as he wrapped his cape around Merlin's naked body. "It's just me, Arthur,"

Merlin's thrashing and whimpering quieted.

"I'm going to kill those who are responsible for this,' growled Gwaine in a quite kind of tone. The one that was more controlled than he wanted it to be.

"Get in line," Arthur replied darkly. His face was hot with a rage that he had never felt before as he climbed onto his horse with one thought on his mind.

Gwaine would _not _be the one to kill those who did this to Merlin.

He would.

**Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, thanks for the reviews! But um...yeah...you guys are gonna hate me for this chapter, for it's kind of twisted.**

It had been a week since Merlin was found. A week, and he still wouldn't say who was responsible. In fact, he slept most of the time because Gaius kept on giving him sleeping potions.

"It seems cruel to keep him awake when he's in that much pain," Gaius explained-regarding the new wounds on Merlin's body, cause by at least one sword on top of the wound he got while protecting Arthur.

Agravaine hovered Merlin's bedside whenever the King visited him. If someone was paying attention they would have noticed his eyes had become fearful and always at alert. His mind flashed back to his latest visit to Lady Morgana.

* * *

Morgana was furious that the men had not broken the manservant more.

"You had ONE job," she snarled. "And that was to make Merlin _broken for good_. So broken that he would be unable to talk for the rest of his life. Finish the job."

Agravaine looked confused, and stunned.

"How?"

"I don't know, slit his bloody throat!" She snapped. "Just make sure he can't talk, but he can live, so Arthur can visit his constantly broken body for the rest of his life."

Agravaine frowned and Morgana sighed.

"What Is it now?" She snapped

"It's going to be rather hard, getting into his room, unguarded. He's been moved to the Castle and the knights of the round table are always there. One of them, at least. Or Gaius. It's always gaurded."

She rolled her eyes.

"Find a way," she growled. "It's either slit his throat, so he can't talk again, or I'll slit _your's_."

* * *

Now Agravaine waited.

There had to be a moment for him to be alone with Merlin, and in order to do that he had to act as distraught as the others were. He didn't understand why everyone acted like the world had fallen apart, and why his nephew was so upset. It was just his manservant. He could easily get another.

This kind of attachment annoyed Agravaine, to the point where he almost couldn't wait to slit that boy's throat. Would serve him right, for thinking he was equal to the king.

There was clearly no moment anytime soon for him to be alone with Merlin because they hovered around him like a hawk.

So for now he waited, waited and plotted.

* * *

Arthur sat alone in his study, deep in thought.

He couldn't get over how quickly Merlin had protected Arthur, with no thought of his own life. It shook him deeply, changing his outlook towards the humanity of people in general.

He also couldn't get over how Merlin had looked almost happy when the cave in happened, because Arthur wouldn't be hurt.

His stomach felt twisted in all kinds of ways as guilt and fury consumed him.

Guilt for how he had treated his most loyal servant, like a punching bag, in the past.

He hoped to Gods that Merlin knew he had been only teasing. That that was his way of showing affection, but perhaps it was too much for Merlin to see that.

And he felt fury that this had happened while people were after him.

It was _his fault _for leaving Merlin behind in the first place.

His fault that Merlin had been raped and beaten.

The rape part was what bothered him the most, and made him so sick that he had vomited twice since Merlin had returned.

It bothered him to the point where it gave him nightmares, as he imagined that barbaric deed be done to his servant.

His feelings towards Merlin had also confused him.

Why did he feel so attatched to this young man?

After all he w_as _just a servant.

As his father would say,

_"He's a servant boy, easily replaceable."_

So why did it bother him to have George try and act like a better servant than Merlin? To try and replace him?_  
_

Because Merlin _wasn't_ replaceable. But Arthur didn't understand why.

He had servants all of his life, and he never felt this type of bond with them.

Like they were his brother.

Merlin was his brother to him, but why?

Suddenly it dawned on him.

Because Merlin behaved like a knight, while doing servant duties-without complaint. Because he had the courage, heart, and loyality of a knight. It was a knight's job, not a servant's, to save the life of a Prince. And Merlin had saved his a couple of times, at least.

Yes, with that poison and the Dorocha. He still remembered the Dorocha all too painfully clear.

Yes, Merlin behaved like a knight, without actually getting the honor or glory of being one. It was clear to the others why Arthur was always close to his knights. He knew he could trust them to have his back. He also knew he could trust Merlin for the same reason.

Suddenly anger at himself filled Arthur,and he swore that when Merlin recovered he would repay Merlin the only way he knew how.

He would make Merlin into a knight.

* * *

Agravaine crept into Merlin's room late at night. Gaius was sound asleep. Agravaine and poured Gaius's own sleeping potion in his drink while giving the old man his dinner.

He walked towards Merlin's sleeping body and glared down at the young man, who looked broken enough to him.

But the Lady Morgana knew best.

With the thought of wanting nothing more than to please her he took out his blade, placed it at the servant's throat and slit it...

**So how much do you hate me right now?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews! So sorry I haven't updated sooner!  
**

Gaius woke to gargling sounds.

"Merlin!" He rose in horror as he saw blood spilling out from the poor boy's throat. "Oh Gods," he breathed in utter shock and dismay. He grabbed as many towels and pressed them against Merlin's wound.

Merlin's eyes were wide and pleading as his body thrashed, this time with pain instead of fear.

While Gaius's hands were pressed on the cloth he resorted to the only thing he could think of, magic.

He closed his eyes and began to rock back and forth.

Finally he collapsed.

"Merlin, I'm so sorry," he gasped, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm not strong enough."

He removed the cloths, and then his eyes widened as he watched the wound close.

And then Merlin's eyes fluttered open.

"Merlin!, my sweet boy! Please, tell me how you feel-" the older man begged, weary from worry and grief.

Merlin opened his mouth to talk, but to both their horrors no sound came out.

His face panic filled Merlin tried to speak again, and again. Both times no sound.

It was then that Gaius realized the awful truth.

While his magic had saved Merlin from bleeding to death, he was still too late; for Merlin was now mute-and probably for the rest of his life

* * *

Gaius paced nervously in front of the King's personal chambers. He had visited Arthur here before, when the young man sought councel, but it was never for this kind of visit. He was let in by Leon. Gaius was taken aback to see Lord Agravaine there. While it was none of his buisness how close he and Arthur were, something about that man troubled Gaius. Those snake like eyes always acted like they were up to something...

But he ignored that as he spoke to Arthur.

"Sire...something has happened to Merlin, something horrible."

Arthur's head snapped up, and turned, at that news.

"More horrible than being raped and beaten?" He asked, worry in his voice.

"Yes sire...I...I think I must have been drugged because someone sneaked into the room and slit his throat. I woke up to him gargling, suffocating in his own blood."

"Shit," cursed Arthur, his face the color of ash. "Is he..."

"I managed to stop him from bleeding to death, sire..."

Arthur's Uncle's eyes narrowed intensely as he hung onto the old man's every word.

"But he can no longer talk. His vocal cords have been damaged, probably for good."

Arthur did not see Agravaine break into a victorious smile. Gaius thought he had seen something when he had glanced at the lord-who's face had turned crestfallen.

Gaius frowned, but had more important issues to address.

Arthur's throat closed as he thought of his best friend, his most loyal servant, mute-possibly for the rest of his life.

"I have to see him." His voice croaked at the him part. Gaius nodded again.

"I blame myself, sire, I should have been more alert-"

"You were drugged."

"I should have been more cautious."

"Why? Up until now we have had no reason to suspect a traitor."

"But still..." The old man's eyes were filled with guilt, and Arthur's heart went out to him. He patted Gaius on the back.

"We'll find a cure, and get Merlin to talk again. I promise you." He paused, and looked at Gaius in the face. "Even if we have to use magic to do so."

Gaius nodded.

"I'm afraid that there might not be a spell that powerful..."

"We have to try," Arthur stated simply, and Giaus nodded.

"You should know, sire," he said slowly. "That I saved Merlin's life by chanting a spell. I stopped the bleeding...but I wasn't strong enough to heal all of it." His shoulders shook, and Arthur suddenly understood Gaius's despair.

"You can throw me in the dungeon, I know I broke the law, but I want to try and help Merlin first. Please, sire, that is my last request before my trial."

"What trial?" Arthur looked shocked.

"Trial for using magic, of course, without permission." Gaius looked surprised. Arthur shook his head.

"Didn't I just suggest using magic already?"

"But I should have consulted you, first...Those are the rules..."

"There was no time, Gaius. You were desperate, as I'm desperate now. I understand why you did it, and I appreciate your honesty. I am not throwing one of my closest family friends into the dungeon." He scoffed at that part. "What kind of king do you think I am?"

"A good one," Gaius replied-wisdom in his tone. "A just one."

_A better one than your father._

Arthur cleared his throat.

"Yes well...besides that Merlin would have my head if I punished you like that. When he gets his voice back, I can't wait to hear the insults he'll throw at me this time." He gave a bemused smile, and Gaius returned it with affection.

"Now come, let's find a spell to save Merlin's voice," suggested Arthur.

As both of them left they were oblivious to Agravaine, who fumed in the corner.

Would this insolent servant never stop fighting fate?

He growled in frustration and swore as he stormed out of the bedchamber, mapping a new plan as he walked. A plan that his Lady Morgana would be most proud of...


End file.
